Europe swelters under heatwave

A punishing heatwave sweeping across much of Europe prompted a partial alcohol ban in France, na-tionwide warnings in Germany and the closure of a soccer fan zone in Spain, as temperatures climbed to-wards record levels.

France was expecting 35 of its 96 departments or regions to declare red heatwave alerts on Sunday, with temperatures of 39 to 40 degrees Celsius expected from the southwest through the Paris region into Bur-gundy, with some areas possibly reaching 41°C.

After a crisis meeting, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu

pre-emptively banned alcohol consumption on Sunday at the annual Fete de la Musique festivals and other public events to be held in those 35 regions on Sunday. Authorities in Paris ordered parks to remain open around the clock, however.

Heat alerts were declared in most of Germany, with temperatures approaching 38°C. The DWD weather ser-vice warned that a combination of heat and humidity could trigger severe thunderstorms.

Beyond the Alps, temperatures expected to reach 36 - 37°C were transforming daily life and tourism in some Italian towns.